Sex offender sent to jail for not attending counselling

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An 18-year-old has been jailed after failing to carry out counselling for sexual offending, the court heard.

Veshayne Sentonious Wall was yesterday re-sentenced in the New Plymouth District Court for breaching supervision.

Judge Allan Roberts noted Wall received an "indulgent" sentence when he was initially given community detention coupled with supervision after admitting having unlawful sexual connection with his girlfriend, then aged 14 years old and when Wall was 17.

The Corrections Department called for re-sentencing saying Wall would not obey directions and avoided supervision.

A psychiatrist would have provided Wall with the skills he lacked, the judge said.

There was no victim impact statement before the court and the girl's mother should have taken a more proactive role, the judge said.

Wall's lawyer Jo Woodcock acknowledged that jail was the only option for resentencing because there was nowhere suitable for Wall to have home detention.

He asked that if a suitable address could be found that could be considered for the community-based sentence.

The judge sentenced Wall to nine months in prison and ordered him to attend recommended treatment. He is not to have contact with the girl or anyone aged under 16 without permission.